Slicing machine



Patented Jan. A14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM J'. CAMPBELL, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T0 AMERIGAN SLIC- ING- MACHINE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK SLICING MACHINE Application filed March 14, 1928. Serial No. 261,499.

My invention relates to a slicing machine i and particularly to a machine for slicing meat and has for one purpose the provision of a scraper blade or scraper member which shall operate against the face of the knife in order to remove bits of meat grease and the like therefrom. An object of my invention is the provision of such a blade which shall have a life of maximum duration, and which shall cause a minimum of noise. 1 Another object is the provision of such a blade which shall conform to irregularities in the face of the knife and Awhich shall conform to the rhythm of rotation of the knife. Other objects will appear from time to time in the I course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention lmore or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a front elevation of my device;

Figure 2 is a partial reary elevation;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 1.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols ythroughout the specification and drawings.

A generally indicates any vsuitable base frame or member provided, for example, with the anti-frictional and noise-deadening supports A1.

Mounted on such base member is any suitable motor means, herein shown as the motor B, from which'extends any suitable driving f connection to the rotary knife herein shown as C. Positioned in the forward side of the knife'is a face plate C1 Which penetrates or' partially penetra-tes the hollow C2 formed in the forward face ofthe knife. It will-be observed, for example' in Figure 3, that the knife is provided with a peripheral forward raised portion C3 and an inclined rear portion C1, the two converging to form the cutting edge of theknife. In order to throw the cutting edge outwardly beyond the fac'e of the face plate C1 the knife is tilted out of parallelism with the face plate, in order to throw one edge forward, as shown in Figure 3. I may employ any suitable means, not herein shown, for conveying meat across the knife from bits of meat, grease and the like which might tend to penetrate to the rear of the face plate C1 I provide a scraping member, generally indicated as D, which includes a stem or body portion D1 secured as at D2, to the face plate C1, for example by the screws D3. It will be understood thatby the use of shims or the like D4 or washers of suitable thickness, the member D1 may be adjusted in relation to the face plate C1 and the cutting plane of the knife. l

It is here shown as terminating in a species of head or T D5, to the edge of which is secured a flexible steel blade D6. I may employ, for example, the blade, or part 4of the blade, of a safety razor or any 'other equivalent member. It is essential that I provide a thin Lflexible resilient sharp, scraping edge the length of which is preferably very slight in relation to its width. In eect itv is a mere fringe of highly yielding spring steel positioned upon the head D5 and its body portion D1 which are preferably also of spring stock.

To the rear of the knife, positioned for example upon the housing B1 I employ a scraper or deflector E. It will be observed that its edge E1 engages the knife well within the periphery and extends outwardly toward and beyond the periphery. Similarly the edge of the scraper D6 engages the knife starting well within the periphery and extending to the periphery of the knife. In each case the contour of the scraper is such as to provide an outwardly inclined edge in relation to the path taken by any individual particle as it rides about on the knife. is that these particles as they are loosened by the opposed Scrapers tend to be moved outwardly toward the edge of the knifeand to be discharged therefrom. It will also be observed that the two Scrapers, extending as they do beyond the periphery of the knifev are practically hid beneath the knife, or 'at' least occupy more or less overlapping planes, so that no free space is left between them through which particles could readily be carried into the interior of the housing.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative shieldport-ion B1. It will he observed that the elongated member D5 as to be c the knife is recessed on its forward face, and that the guard plate C1 penetrates the recess. It therefore follows that any bits or crumbs of material which pass across the front or rear face of the knife will engage either the guard plate C1 or the shield B1, and access to a certain yielding action andV can conform the space behind the guard4 plate or shield will thereby be prevented.

In order to supplement the consequent disposal of such fragments and to clear the edge of the knife itself, I provide the deflector or scraper E which -may closely engage or may positively scrapeV the inner face C4 of the periphery of the knife. It is a peripherally extending edge I also find it desirable to provide a scraper for the front of theknife and have indicated provided with the scraper member shown in Figure 4., whichl opposes an inclined blade D8 to the exposed flat portion C3 of the knife.

The above described scraper for the forward face or edge of the knife is peculiarly eiiicient for its purpose and obviates many difficulties which are present when Scrapers of heavy spring steel,l` liber, or the like are employed. In its essence the member includes two distinct parts namely the portion D1 with the head D5, which is preferably but not necessarily-'of some spring stock, and which preferably has some spring action, and the blade proper D6, which not merely has spring action, but is of such thinness and is of such short width or length in 'relation to pable of vibrating at a very rapid rate.

Being in the form of a narrow flexible strip of metal it is also possible for waves of vibration to pass transversely along its edge across the face of the knife. Infits employment the more rigid portion D1 D5 is so adjusted, in relation tothe plate C1 and the '.fnifeitself as to position the razor blade D6 in' close proximity to, and preferably in slightly yielding contact with the face of the knife. Since the knife normally rotates at a very rapid rate, for example at 800 R. P..M. clearly the inevitable slight inaccuracies of the faceof the knife, whether caused by irregularities in the surface of the knife or'by some slight variation of its axis of rotation from perpendicularity to the plate C1, cause variations in the distance between the vface of the knife at any given point 'and the scraper opposed thereto. Because of the rapidity of the rotation of the knife these variations are in the nature of a very rapidy pulsation or vibration towardand away from the scraper. Unless the scraper member is able to conform to these vibrations it is inevitable that the distance between scraper and knife will vary and that fine particles will be carried between scraper and knife. On the other hand if a scraper member is thrust against' the plane of the knife sufficiently closely to hug the knife, then there is the probabilityl if not certainty of friction and overheating, ofl `wear to the opposed parts, of wastage of power, and of increase inv noise. Ivavoid these eventualities by employingthe duplex member above described in which the more rigid portion D1 D5 exerts to major variations or fluctuations, while the small spring strip or blade D6 is so light and so flexible that it conforms readily to the rapid vibration of the knife.

In practice it may be said to get in resonance with thev vibration ofthe knifev face. It conforms to the rate and length of vibration of theknife. Nevertheless, notwithstandin its close hugging of the surface of the kni e, the frictional contact, the force of the contact, and the area of the contact are insufficient to cause any substantial degree of wear or heating. The scraper itself remains cool to the touch, and it wears down very slowly. It has been applicant-s experience that although many thousand slicing machines built in accordance with the teachings of the present application have been put in use, and some of them have been in use for many months, nevertheless it has been necessary to replace Scrapers of this type, whether for wear or for any other reason, in only a scant dozen or two cases.

The action of the scraper blade in hugging the face of the knife and in lifting from it small bits of meat, grease and the like is aided by the fact that the knife edge is inclined to the path taken by any particle on the knife in such fashion that it tends to more lio easily for rotating it and a scraper member adapted to engage the face of said knife, said scraper stock and a scraper blade of spring stock mounted thereon, the scraper blade being subkmember including a body portion of spring stantially thinner than the body portion.

2. In a slicing machine, a knife and means for rotating it and a scraper member adapted to engage the face o f said knife, said scraper member including a bo-dy portion and a thin,

short scraper blade mounted thereon, the edge of the scraper blade having a high degree of flexibility.

3. In a slicing machine, a knife and means for rotating it, a scraper member adapted to engage the face of said knife, said scraper member including a flexible body portion and a scraper blade rigidly mounted upon said body portion, said scraper blade being of thin spring stock, more flexible than the body portion.

4. In a slicing machine, a knife and means for rotating it, a scraper member adapted to engage the face of said knife, said scraper member including a body portion and a scraper blade rigidly mounted upon said body portion, saidscraper blade being of thin spring stock, and having a scraping or cutting edge, 'opposed to the ,face of said knife, of great Width in relation to the length of the scraper blade, the thickness of the scraper blade, in relation to the Width of its scraping edge being such as to provide a highly flexible edge portion.

5. In a slicing machine, a circular knife and means for rotating it, and a scraper 10. In a slicing machine, a rotary knife and means for rotating it, a thin resilient and readily fiexible scraper adapted to engage the face of the knife adjacent the cutting edge,

and a more sturdy, but resilient carrier for said scraper.

Signed at Indianapolis, county of Marion l and State of Indiana, this 7 th day of March,

WILLIAM J. CAMPBELL.-

member adapted to engage the face of said. i knife, said scraper member including a flexiblefbody portion and a flexible scraper blade upon said body portion, the blade being more iexible than the body portion.

6. In a slicing machine, a circular knife and means for rotating it, and a scraper member adapted to engage the face of said knife, sai-d scraper member including a flexible body portion and a flexible scraper blade mounted upon said body portion, the blade bein more fand means flexible than the body portion, said bo y portion and blade lying in generally parallel planes.

7 In a slicing machine, a circular knife and means for rotating it, and a scraper member adapted to engage the face of said knife, said scraper member including a fiexible body portion and a flexible scraper blade mounted upon said body portion, the blade being more flexible than the body portion, the scraper blade being of thin spring stock.

8. In a slicing machine, a circular knife for rotating it, and a scraper member'adapted to engage the face of said knfe, said scraper member including a flexible knife engaging portion adapted to'be in resonance with the vibration of the knife :luring the normal operation of the machine.

9. In a slicing machine, aknife and means for rotating it, and a scraper member adapted to engagethe face of said knife, the scraper member including a flexible knife engaging portion adapted, in response to vibration of lll 

